The deeper they got into the forest, the thicker the trees. The protruding roots and slippery ground made it hard to walk, while the air was dry and humid. The cultivators in the group didn't seem to mind the air but Lory was sweating like crazy.
Zhao Li Xin sympathized with Lory's situation and kept checking if she needed to rest or be carried. Lory strongly refused to be carried and pacified him numerous times. She reminded Zhao Li Xin of the amulet he gifted her that helped regulate her body, and she was only sweating because of moving too much.
?
'BRAGH!'
Ming Ru Yi fell once again. The group only spared her a quick look before they turned around and kept walking. They didn't bother to help her.
Ming Ru Yi's dress was like a suicide trap in the forest like Lory thought. Lory also failed to understand why the princess thought it was a good idea to dress up like she was going for a party. The forest wasn't the place to visit if one wanted to show off her looks. The best place for the princess to do that would have been her own palace or a tea house in the city.
Ming Ru Yi's face became rigid once more as she was past being embarrassed. It was her fifth fall after all and her butt, knees, and palms hurt. Her dress was ripped farther by a tree branch and her face was drenched with sweat but none of the men consoled her.
The only help came from a servant who offered her the waterskin once in a while and handed her a wooden stick to help her walk. However, her shoes were not made for walking in the forest as they were slippery.
Lory helplessly watched the princess. The only way the princess could stop falling as if someone carried her. However, the possibility of Zhao Li Xin's group doing that was nil. The fact that one of the Mong brothers had given her something to drink and a walking stick was the best help they could offer.
The silence was broken by a deafening boom. The sound of screams and falling trees could be heard coming towards them. It was clear someone was fighting something ahead of them.
Zhao Li Xin easily grabbed Lory's waist and jumped to the nearest branch tree. Mong Ki and the others also followed Zhao Li Xin's actions. They all hopped from tree to tree at a high speed. The noise was getting closer as Lory could clearly hear loud roars and heavy blows.
They finally came across a dozen men with silver armor and spears fighting a large dark furred beast with big claws. The beast looked like a grizzly bear on steroids.
The beast rose on his hind legs and used his front legs to tear at the men before it. Although the beast's body was massive, it's movements were fast and sharp. A number of the men got torn into pieces as they couldn't dodge the beast's claws. The others screamed in panic and anger.
"What is that?" Lory was stunned by what she saw.
"An earth bear. It seems like she is a Profound Level beast," Zhao Li Xin said as he carefully helped Lory stand on a strong branch. Lory could easily see what was happening below from her position.
"Aren't they the fancy group?" Lory nudged Zhao Li Xin when she realized the men looked familiar. The man, however, gave her a blank look. Lory recognized the expression and knew it was useless to ask him. She turned to Mong Ki was close to them. "Hey, isn't that the fancy group?"
Mong Ki nodded, "They are!"
"Should we help them?" Lory asked Zhao Li Xin.
Zhao Li Xin was reluctant. He murmured, "Troublesome…"
"More troublesome then having a Liangzu princess on our tail?" Lory raised her eyebrows.
Zhao Li Xin had forgotten about the princess yet she had followed them for a few hours. He realized saving the fancy group meant he could leave her with her people.
"Mong Ki! Mong Yi! Help them!"
"Yes, Milord!" The Mong brothers were gone in one jump. The two black figures hopped from one tree to another to close in on the beast. The black figures dropped from the tree to the beast and punched it with they're fists. The beast staggered at the blows and fell to the side with a loud boom. Those who were initially fighting the beast were shocked by the sudden fall and it took them a second to realize someone had saved them.
Mong Ki and Mong Yi didn't care how the group looked at them as they were following there lord's orders. The beast was back on it's feet after a few minutes. It gave a deafening roar to release it's fury and locked in on what it perceived to be a dangerous threat. It bared giant fangs to intimidate it's opponents but Mong Yi and Mong Ki were unimpressed by the display.
The Mong brothers took out they're swords when the beast charged at them and sliced the beast into pieces in one clean swoop. Blood spurted like a water fountain as the beast fell on the ground like a big chunk of meat.
The fancy group watched the Mong brothers with awe. They had killed the beast in less then three minutes yet they almost lost half of they're soldiers fighting it. There young lord wasn't as powerful as he had first proclaimed. They were all scared and shivered when they realized the beast wasn't as easy to subdue as they initially thought. A lot of blood had also been spilled.
The fancy group's protector was General Fu Xiao Jin, a top General of Liangzu Kingdom. His main job was to protect the third princess but the princess and her bunch of useless fanboys decided to subdue a beast against his warning. They attacked the beast by themselves and infuriated the earth bear which led to they're current predicament.
General Fu Xiao Jin was an upright military person who was straight forward and honest. The general was also not an ungrateful person and he knew he owed the two strangers. He approached Mong Ki and capped his fist courteously. His words were humble, "Thank you for you're help, mister. I would have lost many comrades today if it wasn't for you two."
"You shouldn't be grateful to us. We just followed our lord's order," Mong Ki said solemnly.
"Lord?" The general's question was answered when a man with a perfect carved face and beautiful cold eyes landed smoothly on the ground while carrying a woman. Two more handsome men also landed behind him. One man looked like a gentle deity and the other wore a beautiful flirtatious smile. Fu Xiao Jin was certain they weren't ordinary men.
"Milord," Mong Ki and Mong Yi moved to the side and bowed slightly when Zhao Li Xin landed. It only took Fu Xiao Jin one look to know the lord was powerful and he couldn't afford to offend him as the consequences would be dire.
"My name is Fu Xiao Jin. I'm the General of Liangzu Kingdom. Thank you for lending you're helping hand, great lord," The general wasn't ashamed to bow before Zhao Li Xin. It was natural for the weak to respect the strong. However, the stupid young master with them had recovered from the shock and didn't feel the same.
"You are the impudent man we saw before!" The young master who had lost his neat and clean look pointed at Zhao Li Xin. He was the same young man who was hit by Zhao Li Xin's group's appearance.
Fu Xiao Jing's heart stopped when the stupid young master pointed at Zhao Li Xin. He knew the lord's background was not simple and judging by his servants' magnificent power, he could only guess Zhao Li Xin's strength. It was unwise to offend someone with much power.
Lory ignored the annoying young master and approached Fu Xiao Jing who seemed reasonable. She politely asked, "Are you the third princess Ming Ru Yi's guardian?"
Fu Xiao Jing was calmed by her friendly manner, "I am, young miss. Unfortunately, we lost the princess when the earth bear attacked us."
"Don't worry about that. We meet the princess on our way here. She..." Lory looked behind her but Ming Ru Yi was nowhere to be found. She looked around and still couldn't see her.
'Where the HECK is she?'
Lory glanced at Zhao Li Xin but he frowned with the same blank look as before. He seemed to have forgotten about the princess once again. Lory shifted her gaze to Bei Li Yan and Jin Hao but the two shrugged they're shoulders with an uninterested face. She turned to Mong Ki and Mong Yi who also seemed blank.
'DAMN! We lost the Christmas girl!'
Lory smiled awkwardly at Fu Xiao Jin. This reminded her of the time she lost Jay's birthday cake. Fu Xiao Jin stared at Lory with a patient look and didn't dare question her. Her saving grace came when someone yelped.
"Third Princess! You are here!"
Lory sighed with relief.
"Master Fu, look the princess is alive and..." Lory wanted to say 'well' but when Ming Ru Yi appeared she was leaning on the walking stick with a tattered dress. Her face pale was covered with sweat and dirt. She looked exhausted and disarrayed.
Ming Ru Yi was close to tears when she saw Fu Xiao Jing and a few of her fanboys. She ran towards them and bawled like a bullied child. Not all handsome men were kind and gentle. The handsome men she met were cruel and mean. They left her without a word. She only managed to catch up to them because she had good cultivation.
"You're Highness!" The young man was overjoyed when Ming Ru Yi ran into his embrace. The other fanboys looked at him with jealousy.
"Princess, why do you look like this? "The young man's imagination went wild when he saw her tattered dress. He turned to Zhao Li Xin's group. "It is you! It must be you're fault! What have you done to her highness?"
Huh! The princess only looked like that because they didn't do anything to her!
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